Westport United on the road for cup glory

Mayo Advertiser, Fri, Feb 07, 2014

It’s wagons east for Westport United and their loyal band of supporters on Sunday, as they look for a place in the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup. Standing in their way is the imposing figure of Sheriff YC from the capital. The hooped side from Dublin won the competition last June in the Aviva Stadium when they saw off fellow Dublin side Kilbarrack FC. They are currently sitting in third place in the AUL Premier A table in the capital, but have four games in hand on the league leaders Kilbarrack United.

Westport United booked their spot in this round of the competition back in the middle of January with a 3-1 win over Trim Celtic in Meath. The main man that day, as he has been for many recent days for United, was JP O’Gorman who bagged himself a hat-trick. O’Gorman’s form will be key to United’s chances of success on Sunday. He followed that hat-trick with another hat-trick against Ballisodare United in the Connacht Cup.

Westport United have plenty of experience in this competition with handful of players like Dave Cameron, Joe Lawless, Martin Geraghty, Gerry McLoughlin, Danny Scahill, and Vinny O’Malley all still involved with the squad, they were all involved in the team that won the competition in Kilkenny back in 2005. While a number of other players have come and gone through the side since then, the love affair the club has with the competition remains as strong today as it did back then.

Balla going for glory

Next Wednesday afternoon Balla Secondary School will be bidding for their own piece of national glory when they take on St Tiernan’s Community School from Dublin in the final of the FAI Schools Senior Boys B Cup in Athlone.

The Mayo team booked their place in final with a 3-2 win over Nagle Community College from Cork in Limerick last Thursday.